Church School

“With us everything else should be secondary compared to our concern with children and their upbringing in the instruction and teaching of the Lord.”

– St. John Chrysostom

Church School Mission

The mission of St. Mark church school is to promote an understanding of the fundamentals of the Orthodox Christian Faith and to lead the youth of the parish to the riches of Christian life.

At its founding, our parish chose to consider the youth and their religious training essential and of the utmost importance. By the grace of the Holy Spirit, the wisdom of this choice has become reality through our Church School.

Throughout the years, the Church School program has offered weekly instruction along with a variety of extra-curricular activities to enhance the spiritual growth and fellowship among our youth. Additionally, on a monthly basis following Divine Liturgy on Sunday, the parents and clergy gather for a “Parents Session”. These sessions are intended to assist the parents in teaching their children about the Church, Church traditions, practices, the Church School program, parental involvement in the Church School, how to deal with raising children in today’s world along with a variety of other subjects.

Our Church School follows the Orthodox Christian Education Commission (OCEC) curriculum. This curriculum has five major categories for each grade from pre-school through high school:

Biblical, Church History and Tradition, Liturgical (prayer, worship, andsacraments), Doctrine, and Spiritual/Moral Development. Along with locally developed teacher enhancements, these core topics are incrementally presented at age appropriate levels throughout the years. By consistently focusing on the learning objectives, the intention is that by the end of each school year and eventually when the students graduate from high school they will have a solid foundation of the Orthodox Church’s teachings.

Classes are in session each week beginning in September (first Sunday following Labor Day) through May (last Sunday before Memorial Day). Classes start approximately ten (10) minutes after the veneration of the cross (students have a light snack prior to class) and end by 12:30 PM.

All children are welcome to attend beginning with children who are currently attending or will begin school in September of that year, up to students enrolled in the twelfth grade. We hope that your children will join us in learning about Our Lord and His Church.

Who We Are

St. Mark is a parish of the Orthodox Church in America, Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

Vision Statement

St. Mark Orthodox Church – a leading English language, Pan-Orthodox Christian center of worship, fellowship, study, and outreach in the National Capital Region – is a place to grow in faith and love.

Mission Statement

We exist to love and worship God, proclaiming the good news of Christ through the teachings of the Holy Orthodox Christian faith, serving those in our parish, our Orthodox community, and God’s people everywhere through worship, fellowship, education, charity, and outreach.